How much should I have saved by 60?
Fidelity's milestone for 60 in dollars, what people 55 to 64 actually have from the Federal Reserve's 2025 survey, and what to do if you are behind.
Checked October 26, 2026
Two numbers answer this question, and they are far apart. One is a guideline: what a plan that starts early would have you hold. The other is what real families hold. Neither is a pass or fail. Both are useful for deciding what to do next.
Fidelity's milestone for 60
Fidelity sets its milestones as a multiple of your salary, counting what is in retirement accounts. At 60 the milestone is 8 times.
| By age | Times your salary | On $60,000 a year |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1x | $60,000 |
| 40 | 3x | $180,000 |
| 50 | 6x | $360,000 |
| 60 | 8x | $480,000 |
| 67 | 10x | $600,000 |
Work it out for your pay
401(k), 403(b), IRA and the like. Nothing you type here leaves this page.
- By 608x your pay$480,000
Fidelity's milestones, assuming you save 15% of pay from 25, match included, and retire at 67. A guideline for a long plan, not a test.
What people 55 to 64 actually have saved
The Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances is the main survey of what U.S. families own. These are its 2025 figures for families whose head (the person the survey picks) is 55 to 64.
| Have one | Median | Mean | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA and the like) | 63.1% | $239,000 | $670,250 |
| Checking, savings and money market | $10,000 | $90,660 | |
| Net worth (everything owned, less debts) | $411,340 | $1,871,020 |
The median is the middle family: half have less, half have more. The mean is pulled up by a few very large accounts, which is why it is so much higher. If you want one number to compare yourself with, use the median.
Savings outside retirement: your cushion
Retirement money is meant to stay put. For a lost job or a broken car, Fidelity suggests an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of essential expenses, starting with $1,000. If your essentials are $3,000 a month, that is $9,000 to $18,000. See how much to keep in one.
If you are behind at 60
- Set the rate, not the balance. Fidelity's plan saves 15% of pay, with any employer match counted in. That is a number you can set this month. The paycheck savings calculator turns it into dollars per paycheck.
- Get the full employer match before anything else goes in, if your employer offers one.
- Use the 2026 limits. Up to $24,500 in a 401(k) and $7,500 in an IRA, plus catch-up at 50 or older: $8,000 more for a 401(k) ($11,250 instead at 60 to 63) and $1,100 more for an IRA.
- Raise it with each raise. Putting part of every raise toward savings moves the rate without cutting what you live on now.
- Saving as a couple? Each of you has your own limits. See retirement savings for married couples by age.
Other ages
See every age at a glance, or go to 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 or 55.
Questions people ask
How much should I have saved by 60?
Fidelity's guideline is 8 times your salary by 60, counting retirement accounts. On $60,000 a year that is $480,000. It assumes you save 15% of your pay from age 25, employer match included, and retire at 67.
How much does the average 60-year-old have saved?
In the Federal Reserve's 2025 survey, families whose head is 55 to 64 that have a retirement account hold a median of $239,000 in it (the mean is $670,250), and 63.1% of those families have one. Their checking and savings accounts hold a median of $10,000.
Am I behind if I have less than that at 60?
Many people are. Fidelity's milestones are the average path of a long plan, not a test, and the Fed's numbers show most families sit below them. What you can change this month is the rate: Fidelity's plan saves 15% of pay, match included.
How much should I have in savings at 60, not counting retirement?
Fidelity suggests an emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of essential expenses, starting with $1,000. That is separate from retirement accounts. Families 55 to 64 keep a median of $10,000 in checking and savings, in the Fed's 2025 survey.
How much can I put in retirement accounts in 2026?
Up to $24,500 in a 401(k) plus $8,000 of catch-up at 50 or older ($11,250 instead at 60 to 63), and $7,500 in an IRA plus $1,100 at 50 or older. Those are the IRS figures for 2026.
Sources
5 sources · read October 26, 2026
Every number on this page comes from fidelity.com, federalreserve.gov and irs.gov. If a source has changed since, the source is right.
- 1Fidelity: How much do I need to retire? (September 25, 2026)fidelity.com
- 2Federal Reserve: 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, historical tables (Table 4, net worth; Table 6, financial assets, by age)federalreserve.gov
- 3Federal Reserve: Survey of Consumer Financesfederalreserve.gov
- 4Fidelity: How much emergency fund do you needfidelity.com
- 5IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA limit increases to $7,500 (IR-2025-111)irs.gov
Wonderful gives general information. It isn't a financial or tax advisor.